Voulez-Vous Coucher Avec Carême?

by

The creative team at Apple TV+ has come up with an intriguing concept for their newest international production: Imagine a renowned French chef who sports an earring – this is the foundation of “Carême“, a series inspired by the life of Marie-Antoine Carême, a significant figure in French culinary history. In the early scenes of “Carême”, he’s seen feeding whipped cream to a woman and subsequently eating it off her. Later, he becomes embroiled in political intrigue within Napoleon’s cabinet. He reacts angrily when another chef destroys a colossal ship made from meringue with a sword (an unusual prop for a kitchen). Essentially, “Carême” is almost a satire of what one might expect from a French television series.

However, it turns out to be quite fascinating! Carême continues with Gallic flair, unashamedly elevating the show’s pastry to equal significance as its politics. The historical Carême prepared meals for the renowned French diplomat Talleyrand, a man who navigated the revolution, Napoleon’s reign, and the restoration of the monarchy effortlessly. The series utilizes this as a starting point to envision Talleyrand (portrayed by Jeremie Renier, not related to Hawkeye) enlisting Carême (Benjamin Voisin) to aid in his plots, offering the promise of reuniting him with his adoptive father. The complexity of the plot becomes muddled quickly as other adversaries of Talleyrand attempt to win Carême over and there are numerous older aristocratic women expressing interest in him. Nevertheless, what stands out is that early in the series, Carême is tasked with charming Napoleon’s wife, Josephine, so he can obtain secrets hidden within their marital chambers. Of course, he succeeds! How could he not? He has an earring!

The success of the show hinges on Voisin’s performance, portraying the roguish chef character, who seems to have been picked up straight from the streets of Marais (he is actually a skilled actor with impressive acting credits, including the gay romance “Summer of 85”). Voisin imbues every scene he appears in with complete sincerity, which fits perfectly for a show that is completely over-the-top. It’s essential to believe that Carême takes his kitchen arrangements and his nation’s fate equally seriously because the show treats both as if they were of equal importance. In one scene, Carême is shown inventing vol-au-vent, a pastry he is credited with creating in real life (although this is debated, according to the pastry’s contentious Wikipedia page), while simultaneously unraveling the mysteries surrounding the woman he is cooking for – there’s a mystery involving a hidden room behind a barrel of specific vintage wine in her cellar. In another episode, Carême competes in a national cooking contest, where he faces judgment from a grumpy food critic who has a pet monkey for some reason. We are informed that the chef who lost the previous year took his own life out of shame.

The show, being a soap opera-like series, has a certain boundary regarding how much it can progress without the genre becoming overwhelmed by the unrealistic elements. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that maintaining a soufflé, or this show, is as challenging as preventing it from falling apart.

The show attempts to juggle the chef’s flirtatious nature with both his friendly and potentially romantic connection to his sous-chef, Agathe (Alice Da Luz), and a complex relationship with another woman involved in espionage (Lyna Khoudri). However, witnessing the chef navigate through a Betty-and-Veronica dynamic is less captivating than observing him charm anyone who happens to cross his path.

Likewise, it’s perplexing to discern the series’ stance towards France’s ousted monarchy; an episode portrays Carême bonding with an exiled Louis XVIII over shared meals and making a statement about how potatoes are loved by all French people. One might expect the French to shun kings, but Carême seems surprisingly indifferent. At least initially, Carême appears rather nonchalant about the matter.

For light entertainment, Carême delivers perfectly. This show is part of a recent trend of French TV shows being introduced in America (or American attempts at adding a touch of French charm, such as Étoile). It seems to capitalize on the popularity of the transatlantic hit Call My Agent. Apple TV+ has been searching for this niche, and Carême appears to be their success. You don’t always need to serve a complete gourmet meal, especially if it’s tedious. A spoonful of whipped cream can satisfy us just as well.

Read More

2025-05-08 22:12